Love - Forever Changes (1967)

Because it's the only Love album I have, I can't speak on how this album fits into the group's catalog, but Forever Changes feels like a special album. It embraces a full, lush production sound (comparable to something like The Zombies' Odessey and Oracle). Strings and horns are abundant - I love the little mariachi break in "Alone Again Or". And the sad irony of the lyrics that follow: "I think that people are the greatest fun, and I will be alone again tonight my dear". Forever Changes feels like a peak inside Arthur Lee's head, full of introspective thoughts as well as commentary on mid-60's society.

Tracklist:

1. Alone Again Or
2. A House Is Not A Motel
3. Andmoreagain
4. The Daily Planet
5. Old Man
6. The Red Telephone
7. Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark And Hilldale
8. Live And Let Live
9. The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This
10. Bummer In The Summer
11. You Set The Scene

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Erik Satie - Compositeur De Musique (1998)

It's almost Christmas and somehow I still have studying to do. I've found that accordion music gives the perfect balance of moderate festivity and melancholy ambience necessary to dissect Plato despite my Christmas tree being up. These recordings of avant-garde accordionist Teodoro Anzellotti playing the music of self-labelled "phonometrician" Erik Satie is an almost unsettling mix of nostalgic sleepiness and wintry tension. Particularly so is the 6 part "Gnossiennes". Its interesting to compare the fairly gentle touch of Anzellotti with more intense players, for instance the passionate tango of Piazzolla. Enjoy and be merry!

Tracklist:

1. Sports et Diverissements
2. Rêverie Du Pauvre
3. Les 3 Valses Distinguées Du Précieux Dégoûte
4. Petite Ouverture A Danser
5. Le Piège De Méduse
6. Avant-Dernières Pensées
7. Première Pensée Et Sonneries De La Rose † Croix - Première Pensée
8. Gnossiennes - 1. Lent
9. Gnossiennes - 2. Avec Étonnement
10. Gnossiennes - 3. Lent
11. Gnossiennes - 4. Lent
12. Gnossiennes - 5. Modéré
13. Gnossiennes - 6. Avec Conviction Et Avec Une Tristesse Rigoureuse
14. Peccadilles Importunes
15. Les Pantins Dansent
16. 3 Gymnopédies - 1. Lent Et Douloureux

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A Dipset Xmas - Jim Jones (2007) (192 VBR)

Sometimes I get a little wispy-eyed when I think about that couple of years there, say,'04 '05ish, when it seemed like Dipset were really on top. Before Cam'ron started to "Get It In Ohio" and when Juelz Santana still couldn't legally buy cigarettes. Coming at the end of that era, with the unexpected visibility provided by the smash "We Fly High", Jim Jones released this gem, which I thought would only be appropriate for the season. The Kufi Smacker says on the liner notes that he "wanted to make a Christmas album for kids in the hood and shit like that". Unfortunately I only have it in 192 VBR, but after a few egg nogs and rye you won't even notice.

Jam-packed with clever double entendres involving, among other things, snow, tree, and pie, the album is perfect soundtrack for wholesome family activities such as gingerbread house construction and the stringing of Christmas lights.

Seriously, though, Christmas music mostly sucks, and this is one of the few Christmas records that can hold company with other successful holiday records by the likes of Willie Nelson, Mariah Carey, and Herb Alpert (who am I missing?).

Tracklist:

1. Dipset X-Mas Time
2. Have a Happy Christmas
3. Wish List
4. Ballin' On Xmas
5. If Everyday Was Xmas
6. We Get Money
7. Too High
8. City Boys
9. We Fly High (Remix) (Feat. T.I., Diddy, Baby & Young Dro)
10. Letter to the Game
11. Hood Side of Things
12. Tough Talk (feat. Mel Matrix & Stack Bundles)
13. Industry Problems

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It should be noted that this was by no means the last Dipset Christmas effort. One highlight of the next round includes Juelz Santana's minimal rendition of "Jingle Bellz":



And lest ye forget the original Christmas raps: